Battle Realms: The Valenheart's Soul [The Monochrome Edition Prequel]

Greetings, Smogonites! This is Clarion Valenheart, and named Soren Valenheart at Pokemon Online, and I am here to present my very first Wifi team, plus its decent use against Uber teams. Well, this team is more of a balance, since the strategy here is to soften up opponents for my attacking Pokemon to set up and sweep like hell. This team made me occasionally to the Top 100 at the Pokemon Online server [Ranked 29 as its peak, max of 1546]. Without further ado, here's my team! Note that my team at the glance is at the banner itself. =D

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The Team at its Fullest Detail

"Share my bed, share my sorrow."

Anyone who believes the geisha arts are a harmless business of strewing flowers and strumming tunes should meet Utara. In appearance she resembles a normal geisha of great beauty, but she incarnates the dark side of their practices - she is a seductress, a poisoner, and possibly insane.

At four, Utara was orphaned by bandits and adopted by local geisha. She proved an apt pupil, delving into medicine and other arts. One day she disappeared from the bathhouse, leaving dead a dozen Serpent raiders - by all accounts men not unlike those who had killed her parents. A few years later she reappeared as one of the strangest weapons in the Serpent Clan's arsenal.

Wifi has become ruinous thanks to Team Preview, but I don't care switching my Pokemon [if absolute necessity is a must, though]. Therefore, Jirachi opens the game by Tricking her Choice Scarf to any lead my opponent runs. So, when my opponent's lead Pokemon sets up, Jirachi will set up Stealth Rock after Tricking, usually comes in a switch. Whenever possible, Fire Punch and Iron Head are Jirachi's attacking moves--Fire Punch being an emergency attack against Scizor and the trapping Magnezone, and Iron Head for any other Pokemon, thirsting for a flinch. EV investments are straightforward; maximum Attack EV investment breaks Garchomp's Substitutes with Iron Head when it comes so annoying, and maximum Speed investment with a Jolly Nature outpaces every Pokemon in a Speed within Base 100 [excluding Sand Rush Excadrill, of course].

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"I'm warning you -- leave now, or face my wrath!"

Like other Serpent Clan, Taro believes the strong must rules the weak. In fact, he was groomed to be a successor of his father. Unfortunately, he has none of the qualities of his father and his younger brother Kenji has. Arrogant, but weak-hearted, he is widely despised by his own subjects, yet they dare not to say that, lest they will incur the ire of his bodyguards who always around him.

Gengar's back in action, after a series of losses that occurred that made my CRE so low [reaching 1280+, to be specific]. This means, Gengar has more potential than Gliscor to be in my team, since Gliscor in my team is slightly dead weight. Anyway, Gengar is arguably one of the most annoying Pokemon because of Substitute and Disable, giving it more time to attack or deploy more Substitutes when needed, plus the moves Shadow Ball and Focus Blast giving impeccable neutral coverage. It also gives my team a Spin Blocker [even Stealth Rock is only my entry hazard, but yeah, it's so vital], so I should keep Gengar alive as much as possible. Also, it gives answers to the Magic Guardians Sigilyph and Reuniclus, two Pokemon that makes it hard-pressed for Gliscor. These are the reasons why I made Gengar an ultimate return to my team. Welcome back, Gengar!

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"While my colleagues waste their time studying death, I have taught the very stones to live."

Like all the highest-level Lotus warlocks, Soban's researches have taken him on a unique path. His work blends clockwork and high wizardry to produce alchemical feats like his tireless servants, the golems. He is called "Lord" as a courtesy for his accomplishments but he holds no political sway, having always kept out of power struggles of the Lotus elite.

Behind his back, Soban's colleagues deride him as a mere tinkerer or mechanic, but his powers are genuine. The Wolf Clan's Shale Lord hero is a result of one of his experiments gone wrong.

Gastrodon has become my newest replacement to my team over Lanturn. Gastrodon can perform Lanturn's task better--and not only it can absorb Electric attacks thanks to its natural Ground-typing, Gastrodon's buffed-up ability in Storm Drain absorbs Water attacks as well, having a Special Attack boost as well. It is considered one of the biggest checks to Rain teams outside Ludicolo [I despise this one so much. I have Scizor to handle it, anyway, just being wary of Hydro Pump.] It is also considered one of the talented Thundurus counters thanks to its great Special Defense, shrugging off Focus Blasts with relative ease. Scald and Ice Beam are a given thanks to near-perfect coverage, while Toxic debilitates other Gastrodon, Choice Politoed, and other Pokemon that resists this combination. Gastrodon gets Recover, and heals off the damage dealt, that Lanturn cannot perform. Gastrodon has a same issue with Lanturn, though--ground-based entry hazards. It is the only Pokemon that will be affected by Toxic Spikes [save for the attacking Pokemon thanks to a certain item]. EV's are very straightforward here: maximizing HP and Special Defense will make Gastrodon so bulky in the special side, countering Thundurus, Specs Kingdra, Specs Latios, and the like [not Grass attacks, though...]

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"It's time to make the shadows afraid."

Kenji was quieter and less apt to be noticed, as befitted the younger son, but fiercely competitive in his own way. They were only two years apart in age, and they trained together constantly. Indeed, Kenji seemed to live for the days when he would score a touch against his brother with a wicker training sword, or outpace his brother on horseback.

As Kenji grew older, he began to argue more frequently with his father. Once, he even interrupted his father with a question during a public meeting, an unthinkable slight that got him sent away to study with the Lords Shinja and Otomo for a year, learning the methods and philosophy of each. When he returned, he seemed even more determined to cause disruption. Some nights he spent in the inns and bathhouses speaking with the peasants, poachers, and common swordsman, listening to their opinions and learning their ways. He was neither lazy nor dissolute. He spent just as many late nights in the ancient archives at Serpentholm, reading the few remaining scrolls from before the coming of the Horde, scrolls that taught the legends and traditions of the Dragon Clan, now almost forgotten.

Scizor is the Pokemon that pairs Gastrodon so well. They cover almost all weaknesses [except Ground] and resistances very well [except Fighting] with each other. Well, this Pokemon loves priority moves thanks to Technician, and Bullet Punch is his staple to victory. Bullet Punch is his STAB move that can dominate any Pokemon except anything resistant to Steel. Superpower is for coverage, as it can destroy Magnezone in a flash [when handled properly.] Aerial Ace is one of the greatest additions Scizor has right now. Aerial Ace has a very good chance of OHKO'ing Conkeldurr, setting it as a back-up sweeper for Gengar, if all else failed. EV's here are a bit weird, however it is designed to survive some special hits, especially a Rain-boosted Ludicolo's Surf [that was very rare], Thunderbolts, and some Hidden Power [Fire] or Flamethrowers.

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"My thoughts move, my arrows fly... one and the same."

Arah is an archer without peer, and her skills overshadow even the Dragon Clan archers of old - her arrows move with a speed, accuracy, and force that terrify her foes. Flying from the oversized longbow she carries, they punch through armor and bone like stabbing spears.

She traveled to this land from elsewhere, having met Kenji during his long exile. Somewhere in their shared past is a bond that links them, a blood debt or point of honor that led her to follow him home. A tall, slender woman, her manner is distant and cold, but for now she fights for the Dragon with all her heart and soul.

Gyarados and Dragonite, my Pokemon in my team before, have the guts to defeat weather teams, thanks to their great bulk, but neither of them triumphed. I thought of Latios to be one of the weather counters [thanks to Latias in Generation IV before it was banned to Uber], and I prospected how Latios counters weather teams. This is where Choice Scarf comes in. Are you serious here? Choice Scarf on Latios? Does it seem a bit weak in general? I don't think so. Yes, Choice Specs Latios pack much power, but do you know that Choice Scarf Latios has the ability to outrun some Pokemon with regards to weather [bar Kingdra and Excadrill], and even Shell Smashers will never get past this Latios [read: Gorebyss, Cloyster, Omastar, Crustle]. Latios also has high-powered moves, and alongside his 210-BP Draco Meteor, he has three moves that are of coverage and has relation to weather (emphasis: RAIN): Surf and Thunder. Psyshock is also used to scout for Blissey, since that move exploits Blissey's weaker Physical Defense, because Hidden Power Fire stopped my Latios from outrunning most Pokemon that doubled their Speed in weather with their base speed of 80. EV's and nature are very straightforward: 252 Special Attack EV's pump Latios's Special Attack to 358, and 252 Speed EV's pump its Speed to 525, factoring in its Timid Nature and Choice Scarf.

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"..."

The Shale Lord is a symbol of the Wolf Clan's enslavement, a failed magical experiment, a lonely outcast, a military asset. No one knows his real name, but he was once a Wolf Clan slave, chosen by Lord Soban as an experimental subject in his attempts to breed a better slave worker. He escaped captivity and roamed the wilderness for years - a strange stone man, faceless, voiceless, alone. When the Wolf rebelled he returned to fight at their sides, and became a hero.

In battle there is no more terrifying opponent. Naturally armored and hugely strong, he fights with his macelike fists. No one hates the Lotus Clan more, and his rage seems to increase his strength even has he battles.

The star of the show, the Attacking Cavern Juggernaut, Terrakion. Terrakion has great Attack, great Speed, great set-up moves Rock Polish and Swords Dance, and great high-impact moves in Stone Edge and Close Combat that make Terrakion so deadly, that only a few Pokemon can survive this insurmountable assault. Air Balloon is what makes Terrakion scarier; it will be immune to Earthquake or any Ground-type move from any Pokemon, making Rock Polish or Swords Dance a free ride, and it will be immune to Toxic Spikes and Spikes [but once it's popped, he'll be down sooner or later]. Scizor's Bullet Punch, Azumarill's Aqua Jet, Conkeldurr's Mach Punch are the Pokemon that Terrakion worries, but thanks to my teammates covering all these threats, it will never be a problem anymore.

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Conclusion

Here it is, the "Battle Realms: The Valenheart's Soul", in Monochrome Edition. This team's far from perfect as it seems [of course there are flaws in this team], so, I am cordially inviting you to comment and criticize about my team, and I am appreciating all constructive entries. Fire away your rates! =D

Importable

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I've been looking at your team for a few minutes and I think you've built something solid, so congratulations. However, I've come up with this idea that I'm almost positive will help your team overcome some problems and increase its win-lose rate.

To be honest, I don't think Lanturn is a good Pokemon for your team, or at least it isn't playing some sort of big role or anything like that. While it helps to cover Thunder Wave and other Electric-type moves users, Lanturn's got a few big problems, the most important one being its weakness to all kinds of entry hazards (which are very common). Now, after having analyzed the team's synergy, what Pokemon represent a problem for it, and so on, I think removing Lanturn from the team is the best way to go. And with that one spot empty, let's go over what I said I had come up with earlier: Gliscor. Using the proper Gliscor set in Lanturn's place would mean nothing less but an improvement, as (1) Gliscor still annuls any Electric-type attack that's thrown at it, (2) is not weak to entry hazards, (3) will make sure the team is no longer weak to Swords Dance and Swords Dance + Rock Polish variants of Excadrill and Terrakion, respectively, and while I'm at it let's add that Gliscor can as well function as an effective set-up user. This is the set that I think will work best for you:

With Poison Heal as its ability, and Toxic Orb being the item of choice, Gliscor can recover a considerable amount of health every turn.
I highlighted Excadrill and Terrakion as two threats to this team, but as long as you play your games correctly and make the right moves, most of the time they'll not turn out to be a problem; however, keep in mind that both of the aforementioned Pokemon can find room to set up SD on two of your Pokemon (Jirachi and Scizor) if given the right circumstances. The good news is that you're going to have all this under control with Gliscor, which is bulky enough to take on both of these guys. Additionally, you mentioned that Lanturn works as a means to shoot down Dragon-type Pokemon, but the truth is that Lanturn really isn't that good at it, because it's pretty weak to Earthquake and other common physical attacks that this type of Pokemon employ. Gliscor, on the contrary, with the listed nature and the given EVs is one tough 'mon to break through on the physically defensive side, and with Ice Fang it can hit Dragon-types for super-effective damage and prevent them from becoming a menace to your team. In short, give this baby a try, you won't regret it. And if you want to know more about this set in particular, check the following thread.

Before I wrap this up, here's a piece of advice that I'd like to give you: play your TrickScarf card safely with Jirachi, as this is probably the best and only way for you to hurt Nasty Plot Thundurus. Otherwise, it could mean Gg. ;)

Global Moderator

Well this is a solid team with wonderful presentation. Setsuna's suggestion of Gliscor pretty much patches up the big threats to this team, so I'm just going to pick out a few things. The removal of Lanturn makes you horribly weak to rain, sweepers such as Scarf Politoed, Thundurus and Tornadus pretty much tear you apart. The only way for you to deal with them would be with priority or flinch. So I'd simply suggest replacing Gyarados with Gliscor instead. You mentioned that you use Gyarados more as a defensive force and a stall-breaker rather than a sweeper, and Gliscor accomplishes those things far more effectively. Toxic Orb makes it immune to status, and Taunt + Swords Dance shuts down stall. Gyarados' Stealth Rock weakness doesn't help it an awful lot either.

Now, you can keep Lanturn if you wish, but I feel that Gastrodon accomplishes all that Lanturn does and better. Gastrodon provides you with an Electric immunity, gains a Special Attack boost, and simply outclasses Lanturn in terms of both power and typing. It also has access to Recover, and isn't weak to Earthquake which makes it a much more reliable way to deal with Dragons. Here is the set:

Thanks for the criticisms, Setsuna and IronBullet. I'll test them later if Gliscor and Gastrodon works well, or I can mix-and-match it with Lanturn and Gyarados.

Theoretically, if I can lean on with Gliscor over Gyarados, I'll keep Lanturn in, since it's very horrible to be weak under rain.

On the other hand, if I can lean on with Gastrodon over Lanturn, I'll keep Gyarados in. With Gliscor-Lanturn combination, this leaves me weak against Sun Teams. This one somewhat alleviates this because Gyarados is the only one sufficient in handling Sun Teams thanks to Bounce.

What other Pokemon can you think of to counter some threats, especially those which has involvement to weather? =/

Global Moderator

Gastronon is a better rain counter than Lanturn, as not is it only immune to Water attacks, but it gets a free special attack boost from then. With Gastrodon you don't gave much to fear from rain, but just be careful around Toxic users and Ferrothorn.

If you are still having problems with Sun teams you could try Tyranitar instead of Terrakion.
Albeit it will change half your team, If you choose to use Gastrodon and Gliscor, you won't mind the Sandstorm damage as well.

Gastrodon, as stated by Iron Bullet, is a better Rain counter than Lanturn because of its immunity to Water attacks thanks to Storm Drain, and Electric attacks thanks to its Ground typing. It is also efficient in taking down Thundurus and Starmie. It can burn Quagsire to a degree thanks to Scald, and Quagsire can be handled by Gengar, anyway.

I never thought of using Dragonite here. As Gyarados is efficient at handling Sun teams, Dragonite is far better, thanks to resistances to Fire and Grass, the types that are most common when it comes to Sun, plus its Multiscale ability to boot with. It seems Gliscor can fit the bill perfectly, patching out Excadrill and such, but this leaves a huge weakness to Sun teams. Gyarados's Waterfall was weakened thanks to the Sun lessening Waterfall's Base Power, and Dragonite's there to resolve the problem. It can defeat Gliscor with multiple Dragon Dances [being wary of Fling, though] and Dragon Claw tearing it apart with over 50% of its health, Roosting several times, and sweep like Terrakion can. [Sorry, Setsuna, I think Dragonite's far better, due to the reasons in this paragraph]

Scizor's Aerial Ace can defeat some Pokemon around, especially Conkeldurr, which OHKO's without Defense investment and without Bulk Ups [With 1 it cannot OHKO, but with prior damage for about 20% it will].

Delko, it seems that you have defeated the purpose of my team. Terrakion is my attacking core Pokemon, so why do you want to replace it--just to counteract weather? Now that I have an idea of replacing Gyarados with Dragonite, being efficient in handling Sun teams, there's no need to counteract weather for it. Sorry for that.

Well the main issue here I see now are Sun teams. Between Venusaur and Sawsbuck, you're going to do a lot of scrambling around. Opposing Heatrans seem even more annoying as they can run any of Flame Charge sets along with Earth Power and such.

Although the greatest threat, might be Volcarona. It's outsped by Latios yes, but at that point, you can't really OHKO it any longer. Are you sure you wouldn't like to use Heatran instead over Jirachi? It could come a long way, also carrying a Balloon to add even more annoyance. It'll also eliminate the annoying Venusaur for sure.

Otherwise the team seems nearly perfect against all teams that aren't sun.

Heatran would help you fix your sun weakness, and also by running roar, you can phaze out dangerous sweepers such as Volcarona. Protect can be used for scouting, and also for an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Lava plume was chosen over flamethrower for the higher burn rate. If you feel that Protect is not very useful, you can always change it to Earth Power to help kill Ninetales, other Heatran, etc.

On Latios, I would really recommend you run Trick over Psyshock. Trick would help cripple switch ins such as Blissey and Specially Defensive Jirachi. You can also trick set up sweepers like Reuniclus to completely mess them up. For example, usually when Latios is sent in on a +1 Reuniclus, they will use recover predicting the obvious Draco Metoer, and this way, they will instead be hit with a trick and forced to switch.

Modest Chlorophyll Venusaur will get outrun by Latios [Timid variants does not, but it's a very rare occasion], then Psyshock to hell.

For Heatran, I tested the defensive Stealth Rock set, but it didn't work. So I changed the set to an offensive Stealth Rock one, and it worked. But I'll test Heatran more before I'll confirm the change. =D

Youtuber

Excadrill has the potential to very easily 6-0 this team; it can grab a free Swords Dance against Scizor locked into Aerial Ace or Latios locked into Thunder/Draco Meteor/Psyshock and then sweep you clean, as it OHKOs every member of your team at +2. Your own Terrakion's balloon is a rather risky check, as it may have been popped earlier in the match, and you can't rule out the rather high possibility of a Rock Slide flinch. Opposing Terrakion can also cause some serious dents, especially if it's running a CB set and the opponent predicts well, since you rely on some very risky switches in order to beat it. My suggestion is to try Gliscor in Gengar's place; they have similar resistances so you will, for the most part, be able to play it in a similar way, but Gliscor brings a lot of defensive backbone that a bulky offensive team such as this one will appreciate. He can also go on the offensive with Swords Dance boosting his respectable attack stat.

Here is what what the EVs accomplish: 244 HP hits a Poison Heal number for maximum recovery - very useful in conjunction with Protect; 176 Defense hits a bonus point and lets you tank the physical threats that I outlined earlier; finally, 88 Spe will outrun other Gliscor. Normally, Ice Fang is the last move, but Facade is definitely more useful in my opinion. It hits non-flying dragons - Lati@s, Haxorus, Hydreigon - harder than Ice Fang does; it can never miss, so you won't have to worry about 95% accuracy screwing you over when trying to pop Excadrill / Terrakion's balloon; finally, it significantly weakens Rotom-W switchins so you can eventually sweep.

BKC, Gliscor can help check in the likes of Skarmory, Conkeldurr, Ferrothorn, and others due to Taunt. It can check Bandzor, Terrakion and Excadrill thanks to its defenses. That's it. And other things it may take--dead weight. Yes, while Gliscor patches up so many threats in the metagame, Gengar is arguably more annoying, and versatile it can defeat much as Gliscor has. Gengar can survive Excadrill's Rock Slide at full health, and kill it with a risky Focus Blast, but it's really worth it.

BKC, Gliscor can help check in the likes of Skarmory, Conkeldurr, Ferrothorn, and others due to Taunt. It can check Bandzor, Terrakion and Excadrill thanks to its defenses. That's it. And other things it may take--dead weight. Yes, while Gliscor patches up so many threats in the metagame, Gengar is arguably more annoying, and versatile it can defeat much as Gliscor has. Gengar can survive Excadrill's Rock Slide at full health, and kill it with a risky Focus Blast, but it's really worth it.

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Gliscor is definitely worth it. Countering common pokemon, especially Excadrill is necessary. It doesnt matter if Gengar can survive a Rock Slide at full health. If Excadrill gets off a Swords Dance / Gengar gets weakened it's game over. Something is not dead weight if it counters very common threats that destroy your team otherwise.

Well the main issue here I see now are Sun teams. Between Venusaur and Sawsbuck, you're going to do a lot of scrambling around. Opposing Heatrans seem even more annoying as they can run any of Flame Charge sets along with Earth Power and such.

Although the greatest threat, might be Volcarona. It's outsped by Latios yes, but at that point, you can't really OHKO it any longer. Are you sure you wouldn't like to use Heatran instead over Jirachi? It could come a long way, also carrying a Balloon to add even more annoyance. It'll also eliminate the annoying Venusaur for sure.

Otherwise the team seems nearly perfect against all teams that aren't sun.

Heatran would help you fix your sun weakness, and also by running roar, you can phaze out dangerous sweepers such as Volcarona. Protect can be used for scouting, and also for an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Lava plume was chosen over flamethrower for the higher burn rate. If you feel that Protect is not very useful, you can always change it to Earth Power to help kill Ninetales, other Heatran, etc.

On Latios, I would really recommend you run Trick over Psyshock. Trick would help cripple switch ins such as Blissey and Specially Defensive Jirachi. You can also trick set up sweepers like Reuniclus to completely mess them up. For example, usually when Latios is sent in on a +1 Reuniclus, they will use recover predicting the obvious Draco Metoer, and this way, they will instead be hit with a trick and forced to switch.

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I think Heatran is dead weight for this team... Does anyone wanted to recommend Heatran over Jirachi? Bump here... =D